June 24, 2013: Hummingbird Sign in PSP

June 24, 2013

Hummingbird Sign in PSP

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dementia, pseudobulbar palsy, and, perhaps most distinctively, supranuclear ophthalmoplegia that mostly affects vertical gaze. The hummingbird sign is a specific radiologic finding visualized on mid-sagittal MRI sequences that has been reported in approximately 70% of cases of confirmed PSP. Atrophy of the rostral midbrain tegmentum produces a tapered appearance that forms the bill of the hummingbird with the remaining midbrain tegmentum, pons, and cerebellum making up the remainder of the hummingbird.